Perceval Shot Dead: Britain's Only Assassinated Prime Minister
John Bellingham, a bankrupt Liverpool businessman with a personal grievance against the British government, shot Prime Minister Spencer Perceval through the heart in the lobby of the House of Commons on May 11, 1812. Bellingham had spent five years in a Russian prison and blamed the British ambassador for failing to secure his release. He calmly sat down after the shooting and made no attempt to escape. Perceval died within minutes. Bellingham was tried, convicted, and hanged within a week, despite his lawyers' argument that he was insane. He is the only person to have assassinated a British prime minister. Surprisingly, news of the assassination was celebrated by crowds in several English cities, reflecting widespread anger at the economic hardship caused by the Napoleonic Wars and the Orders in Council.
May 11, 1812
214 years ago
Key Figures & Places
London
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British House of Commons
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Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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Prime Minister
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Spencer Perceval
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John Bellingham
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Spencer Perceval
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Assassination of Spencer Perceval
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John Bellingham
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Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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House of Lords
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London
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
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